Face Bug

Who says bugs aren’t cute? Lewis zeros in on insects’ best assets in this poetry book with a quirky concept: it’s the grand opening of the Face Bug Museum, which features closeup photos of insects. The accompanying poems are nimble and playful. One praises a feathery Goldenrod Stowaway Moth: “Startled by her beauty, I/ Bend down and whisper, ‘Hello.’/ A moth has perched upon a flower,/ A ‘goldenrod,’ bright yellow.” Museum visitors, ink-drawn cartoon bugs, provide funny side narratives (two butterflies take a break at the museum’s “Nectar Café”), while acting out some of the bug behaviors mentioned in the poems (e.g., a stinkbug lives up to its reputation). Siskind’s extraordinary photographs display every bristle, dew drop, and antenna. After appreciating these intimate portraits, readers will think twice before swatting a fly. Ages 6–up. (Mar.)